putting insulation into interior door

MLMIB

I have an attic that has an interior door going to it but the attic is not conditioned, or at least not well. I'd like to try to put great stuff into it to get some insulation value out of it but I'm not sure what the best way to go about it is.

can I just turn it on it's side and drill a small hold on the bottom, spray a can into it upside down so it fills up and leave it on the side so the pressure goes up and out the hole if need? should I drill 2-3 holes around it in case there are those cardboard pieces in it and spray in the low pressure great stuff?

just looking for some thoughts on a good way forward.

hayewe farm

Almost all interior doors are honey combed under the skin, so it is virtually impossible to foam fill them.

jklingel

First, I'd work on a way to stop the drafts around the door. Then, if "ugly" is not an issue, glue some rigid foam onto the outside of the door.

Ron6519

If there's a regular staircase going to the attic, I'd get a thick foamboard and cover the opening on the attic floor. If you want something a little more formal, I'd build 2 doors out of a 1/2" ply and attach the foamboard to the ply.
or
Switch out the interior door for an exterior door.

__________________
Ron
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
B. Franklin 1759

MLMIB

can an exterior door drop into the same spot an interior door was in? or are the framings different?

woodworkbykirk

yes it can, exterior grade doors are used all the time and actually required for doorways leading into attached garages which are also considered "exterior space" they have to have weatherstripping to prevent gas's and fumes from entering the living space

the same type of material used for exterior doors are used for attic hatches. typically a sheet of 2" foam with a steel skin on both sides which sits down onto weatherstripping to create a seal so warm air doesnt rise up into the attic space

Ron6519

You will need to remove the stop molding and move it back as the exterior door is 3/8" wider then the interior door.
You want to remove this anyway and install a weatherstripped stop molding and a bottom gasketed seal sill. You are now treating this as an exterior door, so weatherstripping makes sense.

__________________
Ron
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
B. Franklin 1759

woodworkbykirk

i should have mentioned. if you dont want to put in an exterior door and frame.. doing as the others stated about moving the door stops back and adding weatherstripping does the trick. but also i would change the slab instead of trying to insulate the door. a solid door will do the job or a "safe and sound" door. it will better resist heat loss

gregzoll

Actually Ron, the stuff I used for my front door, is the same type that is used around exterior door frames, but is on a channel that you nail or screw. It has worked to help stop heat loss around the front door. As for the OP, using an exterior door is the best solution, otherwise they would have to do a airlock, that you would have a hatch covering the attic stairwell, that would be insulated, along with the airlock space.

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